“I help leaders design programs, campaigns, and gatherings that drive higher engagement, stronger decision-making, deeper affinity, and lasting loyalty to mission.”

Rachael Mizuno is a non-profit professional with vast experience in participatory facilitation, global volunteer engagement, and resource mobilization. She is the founder and principal of Swanzuno Strategies LLC, a consulting firm dedicated to building momentum and strategies for clients working to make the world more joyful, participatory, and just. A few of Swanzuno Strategies’ current and former clients include the Global Business Coalition for Education, UNICEF Youth-Led Action Initiative, UNICEF Nutrition Division, Rocket Social Impact, the Building Equity and Alignment for Environmental Justice Fund, Nebraska Department of Health Disparities, and the Global Breastfeeding Collective.

Rachael previously served as the director of next generation at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs responsible for a large membership cohort of young professionals at the 100-year-old think tank. She redesigned a mid-career leadership development program, the Emerging Leaders Program, and expanded the Council’s engagement with high school teachers and students through the Koldyke Global Teachers Program. Before joining the Council, she was the director of volunteer and community partnerships at UNICEF USA, where she spent close to ten years growing the number of active high school and college clubs working on behalf of UNICEF in their communities. She created national programs and campaigns to include over 74,000 volunteers annually. Rachael was director of programs at Lift, an anti-poverty organization supporting families and communities. She worked for the YMCA in Tijuana, Mexico, and has served on the National Board of Y-USA and the Institute of Cultural Affairs.

Rachael currently serves on the boards of Once Upon Our Time Capsule and the IL Global Scholar Certificate program, she is also a qualified trainer of the Technology of Participation facilitation methods and a member of the ToP Network Board. Rachael is a two-time AmeriCorps alumna with a BA from the University of Minnesota and holds a certificate in Nonprofit Management from the Executive Program at Columbia University Business School. She lives in Chicago with her partner and three children.